(1) Field of the Invention
This invention is a dough useful for preparing low calorie doughnuts by baking. This invention is also a baking pan assembly including a plurality of circular pans that can be filled with the low calorie low fat dough and placed in an oven in order to prepare baked low calorie low fat doughnuts.
(2) Description of the Art
A number of prior art references disclose doughs, batters, and cooked products that are low in fat or fat free. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,403,610 and 5,133,984 disclose a process for preparing baked goods containing fibers and hydrocolloids. Specifically, the '610 patent describes doughs and batters that incorporate hydrated polysaccharide hydrocolloid and insoluble fiber in various ratios that are useful in fat free baked goods.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,344,633 discloses a bakery dough comprising a fat substitute. The fat substitute is a hydrocolloid fat substitute that is present in the dough composition in amounts sufficient to give a dough having a total fat content less than 15% based upon the weight of the flour used in the dough. The reduced fat dough is useful to formulate cookies and other bakery products.
This invention is also a baking pan for preparing baked doughnuts. Pans for baking doughnuts are disclosed in the prior art. One group of pans are designed like a waffle iron including a top and bottom clam-shell construction. Such pans are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,175,483 and 1,663,791.
Another clam-shell type baking pan is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,727,875 which describes a baking pan including a top and a bottom that unite to form an enclosed baking surface. When a baking dough is placed in the baking pan and the top and bottom are clamped together, the baked doughnut product conforms to the shape of both the top and the bottom pan portions.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,831,507 discloses a baking pan assembly for preparing a sandwich bun. The pan assembly includes three parts. The parts combine to produce a hollow sandwich bun that is essentially the negative of a doughnut shape.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,476,910 discloses a cake pan having a lid. The pan includes a flat surface including a plurality of cake pan depressions therein. The pans have a center flattened projection that abuts the center of the cake pan. The cake manufactured by the pan includes a partial bottom depression and a flat top.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,638,583, 2,097,356, and 1,900,290 disclose pans for manufacturing doughnuts. Each pan disclosed includes a flat plate with a plurality of depressions or wells for containing doughnut dough. Furthermore, each depression includes a center column that has a conical or dome shaped cap.